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Air date: Apr. 5, 2026
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Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 3: The Secret Of The Saucer
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JESSICA:
Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.
Today's two reading recommendations are “Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 3: The Secret of the Saucer” by Kris Bertin and “I Must Betray You” by Ruta Sepetys.
First, we’re going to hear from Emily, library associate at the Marysville Library, for a graphic novel of small-town conspiracy. Take it away, Emily.
EMILY:
If David Lynch wrote a cross-over comic of “Nancy Drew,” “Scooby Doo,” and “Stranger Things,” setting it in 1990s Nova Scotia’s most cursed fictional town, it would be the “Hobtown Mystery Stories” by Kris Bertin.
This third volume — “The Secret of the Saucer” — continues to focus on the local high school’s Junior Detective Club as they tackle their most intense mystery yet. But what caper could possibly top the kidnappings and crime ring of the first book or the more than haunted boarding school in the second? Well, it might just involve aliens, election interference, a cryptid called “Ape Lord,” and a powerful secret society known only as the Knitting Club.
Home to outlandish characters, eccentric secret societies, and bizarre mysteries, Hobtown is clearly built on sinister, supernatural foundations. Someone is harnessing something powerful and disturbing to keep the status quo in this rural community. What’s not entirely clear is who or why. It’s these unknowns and the earnest teen sleuths trying to unearth them that make this series both fascinating and endearing for me.
Bertin reveals a little more about this world in each volume — how the town’s inhabitants and their traditions are shaped by unsettling folklore and a poisonous colonial past — but he always leaves room for questions.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Emily! Sounds like this eerie trip back to the ‘90s is exactly the kind of mystery I’ll enjoy.
Next, let’s hear about a high-stakes historical thriller from Paige, librarian at the Edmonds Library. Go ahead, Paige.
PAIGE:
Welcome to Bucharest, Romania, in 1989 under the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu, where every movement, every piece of food, every aspect of your life is monitored and reported on.
"Nu puteam avea încredere în nimeni. Nici măcar în mine. I could not trust anyone. Not even myself."
Cristian Florescu, a 17-year-old who loves American music, poetry and philosophy, has no choice but to become an informant for the Securitate, the police and spies for the totalitarian party of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Cristian is a risk, to himself, his friends, and especially his family if the wrong person hears or sees his role in the struggle to free Romania from their oppressive regime.
“I Must Betray You,” a two time Carnegie Medal Winner and #1 New York Times Bestseller is a historical fiction for all ages. Ruta Sepetys weaves together pieces of the events leading up to the Romanian Revolution through the eyes of the young students who were instrumental in the overthrowing of Ceaușescu. This heartbreaking story weaves fear, isolation, and courage together and brings the characters and days of 1989 Bucharest to life for the reader.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone to explore more of our world through the lens of historical fiction. Ruta Sepetys brought Cristian to life, and with him, the beauty, strength, and heart of the Romanian people.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Paige! Get ready for an emotional roller coaster ride while reading this book.
Our recommendations this week are: “Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 3: The Secret of the Saucer” by Kris Bertin and “I Must Betray You” by Ruta Sepetys.
Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.
Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.
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